Insomnia
by earthlydreamz
Summary: Patrick Jane had been asleep in his own bed, which was unusual for him. What was even more unusual was he was not alone. Jane & Lisbon centered. Ch. 7 up - filler chapter and quite short. My apologies in advance.
1. Prologue

**A/N – Something popped into my head and then I just started to write. This will most likely be written as a sequel to my first fanfic, The Way of the World, but it's not **_**crucial**_** to read that one. However, if you haven't, I hope that you will. ;) Big thank you to everyone who read my last one!!**

**Disclaimer ****– If I owned The Mentalist I would not be a high school graduate looking for a summer job to help pay for college...**

**

* * *

**

Prologue

Patrick Jane never thought he would fall in love and settle down. Then he met his wife and everything changed, they had fallen in love, gotten married, and had a beautiful child. His whole world was shattered when both were taken from him. Jane had vowed to never love anyone as he loved his wife and child.

But he hadn't counted on Teresa Lisbon.

He hadn't counted on slowing developing a crush on Lisbon; there was just a natural attraction to her.

And he definitely hadn't counted on falling for her.

* * *

**A/N – Continue or not? Reviews are loved... ^_^**


	2. Sleepover

**A/N – Okay so I just wanted confirmation to continue with this little story, thanks for the reviews everyone! And here we go with the story…**

**  
Disclaimer – If I owned The Mentalist I would have spent more than a week in Hawaii for vacation.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 1 – Sleepover

Somewhere an alarm was beeping. Jolted back to reality, Jane lazily raised an arm to grope for the snooze button, and shut off the annoying device. Cracking an eye open, the time was indiscernible to him.

Patrick Jane had been asleep in his own bed, which was unusual for him. What was even more unusual was he was not alone.

Turning around so he could face the woman fast asleep beside him, he took in her beauty. Even in her sleep, he could see the faint trace of a pout resting on her lips. She looked at peace and rested, quite a difference from her appearance last night, when she was so exhausted she fell asleep next to him.

_They had enjoyed a home cooked dinner at his home, along with wine and had watched some TV before the alcohol hit her and she fell asleep right there on the couch. Always the gentleman, Jane had carried her to his bedroom and placed her on the right side, covering her with a blanket. Turning to walk out back to the couch, he was stopped when she asked him to stay._

"_Are you sure?" Jane had asked, unsure if she was too drunk._

"_I don't want to be alone."_

_Her voice sounded so small and fragile, betraying the mask of her usual confidence and self-assurance. Walking over, he climbed into the bed on the left side and pulled the blanket over himself. Moving closer so her back was against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her._

"_You're not alone, I'm right here." He whispered into her ear before placing a kiss atop of her head._

_She snuggled closer to him, and covered his hands with her own. _

"_I never took you for a cuddler," Jane teased._

"_Hmm, goodnight," was the last thing he heard before she drifted off to sleep once again._

Now looking at her, still asleep with her hair in disarray, Jane couldn't resist as he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss. Pressing his lips to hers lightly, he felt a small grin from her.

"Rise and shine sleepy head," Jane jovially said to the raven haired woman lying next to him, prodding her awake.

"Ugh no, not yet. I have an appointment with the inside of my eyelids for at least five more minutes," she replied groggily, still half asleep.

"Teresa."

"Yes, _Patrick_?" Pointedly making use of his first name, Lisbon still found it strange for it to be rolling off her tongue so easily. Everything with him had been relatively easy, starting from their embrace over a month ago.

Looking dreamy with his unruly hair everywhere, Jane announced, with a half grin on his face, "Today is Monday."

* * *

**A/N – I apologize for the short chapter, this is actually only half, but the second half was giving me difficulty so I decided to pause here and post so I could have more time to work on the second half. I promise the next update will be longer. **

***Tomorrow I get all 4 wisdom teeth taken out (lucky me)…so updates might be slow after this. Reviews make me happy! :D**


	3. Over medium

**A/N – Yay, so here is the original second part of Chapter 1, which has now become it's own chapter. All mistakes are mine, so I apologize for any glaring ones. Reviews make me happy and I hope you're enjoying the story. ^_^**

**Disclaimer – If I owned The Mentalist that means I would have met Simon Baker and Robin Tunney…which only occurs in my dreams, sadly.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2 – Over medium

_Looking dreamy with his unruly hair everywhere, Jane announced, with a half grin on his face, "Today is Monday."_

"Damn," Lisbon sat up suddenly, "I have to get ready for work."

"No need to fret, you have plenty of time to shower and eat." Jane was propped up by one arm, watching her and amused at the sudden change that overtook her. She was starting to shift into Agent Lisbon mode, a whole different persona from the Teresa he had begun to know.

"You don't mind if I take a shower here?" She looked at Jane curiously.

"Not at all, be my guest," he said, gesturing towards the master bathroom. "I can shower in the spare bathroom."

Getting out of bed, Jane walked over to the closet and pulled out a clean towel, tossing it onto the bed where Lisbon sat. "I'll see you downstairs," he added before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him. Despite coming to terms with the fact that they were indeed dating, they still had not progressed beyond the occasional sleepover, which involved actual sleep and nothing more than that.

Lisbon entered the adjoining bathroom with towel in hand, turned on the water, and started to undress, lost in her thoughts. As much as she enjoyed his company and the feeling of someone caring for her, she was unsure where it was all going.

Stepping into the shower, she allowed the warmth of the water to cascade down, momentarily forgetting her qualms. Closing her eyes, she thought back to a day that was still vivid in her mind.

_Following a pleasant evening out at a casual restaurant, Jane had walked her to the door of her house. She reached into her purse to withdraw her key from it, pausing to look up at the man standing next to her. He looked nervous, like a school-boy taking a girl out on a first date._

_It wasn't their first date however, they had had a few previously, but this was the first time that Jane had walked her to the door. Obviously he was unsure what to do with himself, so Lisbon decided to make a bold move._

"_Do you want to come inside for a bit?" She asked tentatively, unsure whether it would send him running back to his car or not._

"_No, um, I don't think I should."_

"_Oh, I see," Lisbon said, unable to cover the obvious disappointment in her voice. They had both agreed to take it slow, but his idea of slow seemed to be a snail's pace._

"_Actually, I just wanted to do this," said Jane, suddenly closing the distance between them. Gently using one hand to cup her face and wrapping his other arm around her waist, his lips met hers, firmly but not forcefully. Jane allowed his emotions to finally shine out from behind, when he broke apart, his eyes searched hers checking for a reaction._

_She had been stunned momentarily, not thinking that he had it in him to make the first move. The moment quickly passed as she leaned forward to whisper slyly, "You call that a kiss?" _

_Unable to suppress a grin, Jane caught her lips again, this time with more force and all the passion he could muster. Hungrily kissing him back, Lisbon gasped as he ran his tongue along her lip, and granted him entrance. Both could hardly hold back their excitement, Lisbon raised her hands to tangle in Jane's curls, winding them in her fingers, holding his face closer to hers._

_Lisbon could feel the door against her as she leaned back, Jane's hands still cupping her face, their bodies now pressed against one another. Abruptly, she moved her hands to his chest, pushing him away from her. Her breath ragged, she smirked at him, "Now, that's a kiss. And that's all you're getting tonight."_

_Confused for a second, and still caught up in the heat of the moment, Jane lit up when he finally understood her. "Yes of course, of course. Good night Teresa." Blowing her a kiss he took a step backwards, still watching her with rapt attention._

"_Good night, Patrick," Lisbon said in reply, maintaining eye contact with him until she shut the door behind her. Leaning back against the door, she touched her fingers to her lips, still trying to comprehend what had just occurred on the other side of the door. Grinning to herself, Lisbon could hear a faint melody in the distance, like someone whistling a happy tune. _

Smiling as she remembered their first kiss, Lisbon finished up in the shower, then stepped out and dried herself off. One glance at her watch on the counter told her she had taken longer than usual and Jane would surely be done already. After quickly dressing herself, Lisbon quietly walked downstairs towards the kitchen, spotting Jane already at the stovetop. He was dressed in his usual three-piece suit, with a clean white shirt underneath, but something seemed different about his appearance. Maybe it was his hair, it seemed a little snazzier today, as if he had put some effort into taming his curls. Then again, it could be that he had gotten a decent night's sleep.

"You clean up nicely." A voice spoke from the doorway, as Jane turned to see a smiling Lisbon leaning against the frame. She was dressed in a pair of well worn, dark washed jeans, and a form-fitting emerald blouse which matched the color of her eyes perfectly. Her still damp hair fell down around her shoulders in waves and her face was bright and fresh, without a hint of makeup on it. Seeing her so comfortable made him wish she dressed this way all the time, although she was beautiful to him regardless of what she wore.

"Not as nice as you," Jane said, shining his mega-watt smile at her.

Feeling his eyes trailing along her body made Lisbon slightly self-conscious. "No, I'm dressed in the same clothes as last night, since I didn't bring anything to change into. It's not exactly work attire."

"Meh, no one will notice and even if they do, no one will say anything. You look lovely as always my dear."

Lisbon muttered a doubtful "thanks" even though she was still unsure about her appearance.

"Now, how do you like your eggs?" Asked Jane, turning back to face the stove, his attention now on the eggs in the frying pan in front of him.

"Over medium please," Lisbon requested as she took a seat at the counter top, sitting directly opposite of him.

"Hmm, interesting."

"You found something interesting with how I prefer to eat my eggs?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, yes. You like the messiness of an over easy egg, but you don't want the mess that comes with it, so you eat it over medium. Little bit of mess on the inside, but neat on the outside. Sort of like you." Jane said with a triumphant flourish in his voice.

"You got all that from my egg selection? I'm fascinated by how your mind works. So what if I chose my eggs over easy?" she asked, playing along with his game.

"But you didn't."

"Suppose I did," Lisbon insisted.

"You didn't though. Here's your plate of eggs and bacon, I made myself over easy eggs. Does that answer your question?"

"Whatever."

Joining her at the counter top with his plate of eggs and bacon they ate in comfortable silence, not needing to fill the lull with conversation. Their minds on different topics, neither noticed the other's wandering mind.

Lisbon was trying not to think about his eggs, debating if it meant that he enjoyed messiness. In some aspect it suited him well, since Jane was always causing a scene. She secretly reckoned he loved getting into trouble on account of the fact that she was always the one having to bail him out of it. And as much as she lamented about the extra paperwork for his unnecessary and elaborate schemes, she couldn't complain when he always tried to make it up to her later.

On the other hand, Jane's mind was preoccupied with other, more important matters.

Finishing their breakfasts around the same time, Jane picked up the plates and placed them in the sink to clean later. "Shall we then?" Jane asked as he motioned for the front door and walked out alongside Lisbon.

Both drove their separate cars to work, since Lisbon had parked her car at Jane's house the previous night. Slightly embarrassed to be arriving the same time as him, she whispered to him, "Behave," a single word reminder as they made their way through security.

"Of course, my dear." Jane whispered back, trying not to grin as a faint blush crept up her cheeks.

Jane had leaned in close to her, his now familiar scent of cologne clinging to Lisbon, even as she moved away from him. They had both agreed not to disclose anything to the team, not at this point anyways, because nothing good would come of it. Shooting Jane a look that clearly told him to mind his distance, he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Don't patronize me," Lisbon muttered as she playfully swatted an arm at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it," replied Jane, flashing his smile back at her, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Ass," she said under her breath, but she couldn't hide the grin on her face.

Walking into the office together they could see the other agents sitting at their respective desks, dutifully at work. Before Lisbon could walk into the bullpen to address the team, Jane asked her quietly, "Ah, can I speak to you for a moment in your office first?"

Looking up at him, slightly confused, she agreed and turned to unlock her office door. Opening it wide, she followed him in and closed it behind her; unsure of what he was going to say.

Van Pelt watched them with idle curiosity. "Something's up with them, but it can't be what I think it is. Can it?"

"What are you thinking?" Rigsby asked between mouthfuls of a banana.

"Well I don't know, they just seem to be getting along so well lately, which is unusual. For them at least," Van Pelt finally confessed.

"Nah, it's probably nothing. Lisbon and Jane? You've got to be kidding me. What do you think Cho?"

"I don't know, and it's none of our business really," said Cho, nose still deep behind his latest book.

"Hmm, I wonder what's going on in her office though; Lisbon hasn't kicked him out yet." Van Pelt kept pressing.

"Yeah, they're totally making out with each other. It's against the rules and Lisbon's pretty strict on rules." Rigsby concluded.

"Would that stop you?" Cho asked, intrigued at the expressions played out across his colleagues faces now. Rigsby was avoiding looking at Van Pelt and she in turn was looking elsewhere, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment. Amused that he finally got them to shut up, he returned to his deeply engrossing novel.

Little did they know what was actually going on behind Lisbon's closed door.

* * *

**A/N – As I said before, updates might be slow after this since I'm preferring sleeping to writing. My wisdom teeth extraction went fine, but it's definitely painful at this point. Considering I've already started on the next chapter, we're in good shape for now. **

**Oddly enough the hardest part for me to write was the flashback scene and the discussion on eggs. Trying to keep imaginary characters in character is harder than I previously thought!**

**Out of curiosity, what do **_**you**_** think is going on behind the closed door? ^_-**


	4. Interruptions

**A/N – Sorry for the delay, but here it is! Again, I apologize for all mistakes are mine. Something Jo brought up in her review that I thought I should clarify for those who haven't read the previous story. In TWOTW, Jane removed his wedding ring at the end, so his ring being absent isn't the thing that's different about him, maybe it's his attitude? ^_^**

**Disclaimer – Suffice to say, I don't own The Mentalist.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 3 - Interruptions

_Little did they know what was actually going on behind Lisbon's closed door._

After making sure her door was firmly shut; Lisbon walked over to her desk and leaned against the edge of it, facing Jane. Aware that he was still lost in thought, she watched him with interest, not wanting to press him.

His hands were buried in his coat pockets and he was standing directly in front of her, rocking back and forth slightly, making eye contact with the floor of her office. Lisbon reluctantly spoke after a few minutes.

"Patrick, you know I wouldn't mind waiting but I don't want to arouse any suspicion from the team," she gently said.

"Hm yes, you see, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What, about the team?" asked Lisbon, confusion etched across her face.

"Teresa, I think we should inform the team about us."

"What? No, Minelli would flip," she said in disbelief at his statement.

"Just Van Pelt, Cho, and Rigsby. Minelli doesn't have to know."

Crossing her arms, Lisbon gave Jane an exasperated look. "And why do you think we should do that?"

"Well I'm betting they're already suspicious of what's going on. Why not put their minds at ease?"

"Nah, it's not a good time." Lisbon was attempting to blow the matter off as unimportant, but Jane saw straight through her.

"A good time as any," he countered.

"Why are you so insistent on this?"

"Teresa," Jane approached Lisbon, uncrossing her arms and taking her hands in his. "I think telling them would put your mind at ease too. You wouldn't feel like you're keeping a secret from them, and a pretty big one at that."

"I – I still don't think it's a good idea." She was finding it hard to keep her breathing steady with Jane now using one hand to stroke up and down the length of her arm, "Will you stop that? I can't think when you do that."

Pausing for a second, Jane smiled and then continued rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "You mean this?"

"Yes, that," Lisbon tartly replied, jerking her arm away from him.

Looking at her with a curious expression on his face Jane suddenly moved, placing both hands around her, holding the desk and pressing her against him. "How about this?" he whispered into her neck, slowly starting to place feathery kisses.

"Patrick – we shouldn't, not here." Trying, but failing to push him away, Lisbon found her hands running through his blond curls. Sighing a small moan, she felt a shiver run up her spine as he pulled her shirt up slightly and slid his hands inside, trailing them up and down her back. The sensation of his hands on her skin was electric, as if tiny sparks were emanating from his fingertips.

Moving his hands slowly, Jane brought them down to her ass, cupping her softly, causing her to press against him. Raising his face up to meet her, they looked at each other with an unspoken understanding before Lisbon pulled at his coat lapels, locking him in a fiery kiss. Unable to restrain himself, he lifted her off the ground and placed her on top of her desk, knocking her phone off with a clatter.

"Oops," the consultant smiled, glancing down at the machine now on the floor. Returning his attention to the impatient woman before him, he nipped at her lower lip while she ran her tongue along his, battling for control. Lisbon rubbed her thigh against Jane, and felt him harden against her, bringing out a moan from deep within his throat.

Both were locked in the other's embrace, oblivious to what the agents outside the room might have heard.

* * *

Van Pelt looked up from her computer, checking the door of Lisbon's office. No one came out.

"Did anyone else just hear that?" She asked her co-workers, concern written on her face.

"Nope, what?" Rigsby had just returned from the kitchen, and was munching away on an assortment of fruits, courtesy of Van Pelt.

"Cho?" Turning to him, she was basically begging for an excuse to check on their boss.

"Yea. Why don't you go and see what the commotion was?" Cho replied, not even batting an eyelash from his book.

"Um, okay," Van Pelt said, surprised that he had given her the duty of checking.

"I'll go with you," offered Rigsby, shrugging as if indifferent to the situation.

"Sure," said Van Pelt, already walking towards Lisbon's office. Knocking first, she waited for a reply, but hearing none she looked at Rigsby before opened the door. Gasping at the sight in front of them both agents quickly regained their composures.

Lisbon was seated on the edge of her desk, with Jane standing directly before her, their hands down by their sides. Both were quiet, but the giveaway was the blush upon Lisbon's face and the slightly messy state they were both in. Apparently they had interrupted something private, so Van Pelt shut the door after yelling a hurried "Sorry!"

Quickly walking back to their individual desks, they sat in silence, still processing what they had just walked in on. Cho sat at his desk, a small grin on his face unnoticed by both flabbergasted agents.

* * *

**A/N – So this chapter was quite fun to write. I love reading your reviews! When I was starting this chapter I was unsure whether or not to have them make out. I was entertaining the idea, but after reading all your lovely reviews I decided to write it and see how it played out. Obviously I liked it so I kept it in. **

**As a side note, the title of the story will make sense **_**at the end**_**. Although I will hint that it's from a song…seems like most of my stories are inspired by songs.**


	5. Bets

**A/N – My apologies for the delay again. But here is another chapter, and thanks to JocelynMcC for betaing!**

**Disclaimer – If I owned The Mentalist, I would not have created a character named Sam...**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 4 – Bets

_Quickly walking back to their individual desks, they sat in silence, still processing what they had just walked in on. Cho sat at his desk, a small grin on his face unnoticed by both flabbergasted agents._

Back inside Lisbon's office, she and Jane were having a staring contest, albeit full of flirtatious looks. She was motioning to him to go and sort things out and he was motioning for her to go first.

"Patrick," Lisbon finally said exasperatedly.

"Teresa," he said with a grin. "I guess you won't have to worry about telling the team now."

"Will you just go? I'll be out in a couple minutes."

"All right, all right. So bossy," Jane bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I am still the boss."

"Meh, just a technicality."

"Technicality my ass," Lisbon murmured, walking around her desk to sit in her chair.

"A very nice ass, might I add."

"Oh really?" said Lisbon, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Yes, really. Ah, you're blushing now." Jane pointed out, pleased that he could still make her blush at the drop of a hat.

"Just because we're dating, doesn't mean I won't hesitate to shoot you."

Quickly scampering out, Jane peeked at his colleagues sitting at their respective desks before walking towards his comfortable, brown sofa and sprawling across it. Three heads turned in his direction, waiting to see what he would say. Feeling their eyes upon him, Jane decided to not say anything and see which one of them would speak out.

"How long?" It was Cho that spoke first, all attention turned to him in surprise.

"About a month now, give or take a few days." Jane spoke without opening his eyes.

Turning towards Rigsby, Cho said with a completely stoic face, "Pay up."

"What? Come on man, you knew all along didn't you?" protested Rigsby, always losing his bets in the office.

"I'm no Jane but I do notice things. First off, Jane's wedding ring has been absent for about a month. Secondly, you know the boss's alternating looks of lust and disapproval she reserves only for Jane? She's definitely been casting a lustful eye at him more frequently, by far."

"Wait a minute, you guys placed a bet on when we started dating?" Sitting up, the blond haired man looked back and forth at the two agents in amusement.

"Not just us, the whole office as well. Thanks Jane, I just won big."

Waving off Cho's thanks, Jane replied, "Meh, don't let Lisbon hear about it."

"Let me hear about what?" Lisbon had stepped out of her office just in time to hear his last sentence causing her to question what the previous conversation had been about.

The air became deadly silent, no one daring to look at her.

"Hear about what, Cho?"

"I'm not at liberty to say boss." The Asian man avoided looking at her, he wasn't so sure he could conceal the truth.

"Van Pelt?"

"Sorry boss. I wasn't paying attention to them." Van Pelt looked up at her superior, biting her lip, as if unsure what to say next. "But I do want to offer congrats."

"For what?"

"Well, you know. You and Jane."

"Agent Van Pelt, we don't discuss our personal lives in the office, it's unprofessional."

"Right, sorry boss."

"I need you all to come in my office now. I just got an important phone call, and I think it'd be best if we discussed it in private."

Rigsby looked first at Van Pelt, who looked to her boss, who was looking at Jane. Cho was still absorbed in his book and after reading a couple more sentences, closed it reluctantly. All agents plus the consultant followed their leader to her office, none knowing what was coming next. After everyone entered, Lisbon stood in front of her desk with her arms crossed, almost a déjà vu moment for Jane.

"Seems like we have a case that has caught the attention from another unit. And tomorrow they're going to send someone over to pick up all the files we have on it. So you're all going to have to dig up everything you can so we can just hand it off nicely when they come."

"Sure boss. Which case are they taking from us?" piped Van Pelt, hoping to mask her previous mistake with a newfound peppiness.

Locking eyes with Jane, she took a breath before announcing, "The Red John investigation," her voice faltering.

* * *

**A/N – I just have to profess my shameless love of Katy Perry, her CD has been on repeat on my iPod, but mostly the songs Fingerprints and Thinking of You. Muse is great too. ^^**

**Anyways, so I hope you all have heard of the new character mentioned in the spoiler for next season…or at least read the summary for the premiere. If not, I have put both on my profile for easy access to read. I plan on expanding slightly into next season, and my take on what the new character might bring…dun dun dun! Thank you for all your kind reviews. :)**


	6. Black and Gold

**A/N – I wasn't sure what religion Lisbon follows, since it's not mentioned anywhere in the series. I assumed she follows some form of Christianity, but I intentionally left it ambiguous, and I hope no one finds this chapter offensive in any way. I myself am an atheist, so this was quite interesting to write. Cheers, hope you guys like it.**

**Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 5 – Black and Gold

_Locking eyes with Jane, she took a breath before announcing, "The Red John investigation," her voice faltering._

Her running shoes pounded the sidewalk, all the while her golden cross bounced up and down off her chest, her black hair tied loosely behind her. Jogging was not her favorite form of exercise, she much preferred her weekly lessons of kick boxing, but seeing as it was late at night it was Lisbon's only option. There was a certain lack of restrictions when she jogged; it allowed her mind to wander freely, while her feet took her to any destination. Most of the time when she ran, her mind was occupied with work, and more times than she could count she ended up heading towards the direction of CBI Headquarters.

Events from earlier in the day kept popping up and one person especially seemed to occupy her thoughts. Spotting a grassy park ahead, Lisbon found a patch of grass to sit down and rest for awhile. Catching her breath, she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands as if trying to shake off the thoughts that were invading her mind.

_After the rest of the team had received their instructions to dig up all the files they had on Red John, they excused themselves, not wanting to be left in the room with an obviously distressed Jane. Lisbon found she was once again alone in her office with him. However, the tension between them was unlike anything they had previously felt in that space._

"_Tell them they can't have it," demanded Jane, with a hint of pleading in his voice._

_Trying to be gentle, Lisbon replied, "You know I can't do that."_

_"Then tell me who is in charge, I'll – I'll have a word with them." Suddenly his voice became fierce, frightening her that he might do something he would later regret._

"_I don't know who is going to be charge of the investigation, I wasn't told."_

"_But why are they taking it away from us?"_

"_Probably on account of the fact that you have a 'very deep, personal interest in this case'," said Lisbon, quoting his previous statement. "You do realize that was recorded, and our superiors reviewed that tape."_

"_So you're just going to let them take my case away from me?" There was an accusatory tone to him now, trying to elicit some sort of reaction from her._

"_It was _our_ case Jane, and I didn't really have a say in the matter," defended Lisbon._

"_But you didn't fight for it. You didn't fight for me." Pain, among other emotions, was etched across his face as he turned to leave._

Shoving aside the memory of Jane's hurt filled expression, Lisbon lay down in the grass, stretching out and enjoying the soothing sensation of the cool air. Looking up at the night sky, she realized it was one of those rare evenings in the city where she could see almost every star lit up in the sky like little golden beacons. They were like thousands of eyes staring back at her, surrounded by a black emptiness.

Lisbon could feel the weight of something upon her, as if those eyes were watching her, judging her. She played with the cross hanging around her neck, trying to make sense of everything. Even after her mother had been killed at the hands of a drunk driver, she never once doubted her faith. It became a form of comfort when she needed a distraction from her life, believing that her mother was watching over her and her brothers.

Despite Jane being an atheist, and Lisbon being religious, it never caused any sort of strife between them, unlike him and Van Pelt. He enjoyed getting on the younger agent's nerves, sparking an argument numerous times. With Lisbon, he seemed to have a higher respect for her beliefs, never once questioning her about them. And in return, she never preached to him about her beliefs, preferring to keep them to herself.

Yet tonight, she found herself trying to look at the stars from Jane's perspective, that they were nothing but a bunch of matter. Lisbon found it difficult to be standing in his shoes though, not believing in a heaven or hell. It had been painful enough to lose her mother at such a young age, but Lisbon couldn't imagine the turmoil Jane went through, believing that "once the final whistle blows, it's over."

She had come to the realization that losing her mother at such a young age was an immense factor as to why she went into law enforcement. Her desire for justice propelled her through the ranks of the CBI, becoming a top agent in only a few years. Even today, she was one of the best Senior Agents the agency had, regardless of the fact that she was a woman in a position most commonly held by men.

Coming to terms with the fact that she was all part of a bigger plan, and that everything had a reason for it, she asked then why did Jane have to lose his only child and wife? An even bigger question, why was he brought to join her team as a consultant? And why had they ended up together? He was admittedly a very handsome man, self confident in his ways, slightly egotistical and arrogant at times, but had also been sought after by a number of attractive women, many of whom made Lisbon self conscious.

They both understood each other, the separate tragedies that they had come across in their lives and the aftermath that had occurred following them. Add in the fact that she was probably the only person who could rein him in and keep him from going overboard with his crazy schemes. Thinking it over, she was sure of the fact that she loved him, loved Patrick Jane. But were those feelings mutual, or was she just in another unrequited emotional relationship? They hadn't even progressed to a real physical relationship, and on whose account she wasn't sure.

Finally standing up after her long break, she tried to compartmentalize all the thoughts running amuck in her mind and she realized why the surroundings looked so recognizable. It was a different route than she normally took, but it seemed like her heart was leading her this time and not her feet. After crossing a couple streets she ran up to the door of a house that was now a familiar sight to her. Knocking a few times, she took a step back, trying to think what she would say when it opened.

* * *

**A/N – Okay, so this chapter totally took a mind of its own and I just went with it.**

**Credit goes to Sam Sparro, whose song I totally gave me the idea for this chapter, though the title sort of gives it away. Notice, I said borrow…I still don't own anything. Thanks for reading & reviewing!**


	7. Taking it 'Slow'

**A/N – Um, I apologize profusely for how late this update is. Major writer's block, coupled with items that had higher priorities, I put this on the back burner for quite a while. Hopefully you guys enjoy this super long chapter. **

**Disclaimer – If I owned The Mentalist, I would have already seen 2x03 and not waiting in anticipation for the awesomeness Robin Tunney is going to bring to my Thursday night.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 6 – Taking it 'Slow'

_Knocking a few times, she took a step back, trying to think what she would say when it opened._

"Teresa?" A still wide awake Jane answered the door in his usual attire, minus the vest and coat. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, I originally went out for a run, but I ended up here." Lisbon stood on the front steps wringing her hands, before dropping them to her side, knowing how hesitant she looked. Mentally smacking herself for letting her insecurities be so transparent to him, she forced herself to look Jane in the eye.

"Do you want me to drive you back?"

"Actually, I was hoping we could talk."

Jane appeared slightly perplexed; he obviously wasn't expecting her to be this forthcoming.

"Uh sure, come on in then."

Lisbon wiped her sneakers on the welcome mat before stepping inside, closing the door behind her.

"You don't have to worry about getting anything dirty, since I'm only one living in the place. I could care less if it gets messy and filthy." Jane said with a smirk on his face.

"Won't the homeowners care?" Lisbon inquired. She knew Jane had started renting out the decently sized house shortly after they started dating, but she never realized how close in proximity their homes really were until now.

Shrugging it off half-heartedly, Jane muttered, "I highly doubt that."

Making his way over to the kitchen, he pulled out a mug from the dish rack by the sink, placing it on the countertop. Lisbon followed, still warring with herself over what exactly to say to him.

"Can I get you a cup of tea? I was just about to make one for myself." Jane's cheerfulness at an odd hour in the evening jerked her out of her reverie, if only momentarily.

"No, thank you."

"You know, I read somewhere that you shouldn't turn down tea. It's what starts wars." A devilish grin played across his handsome features as he click-clicked the button to turn off the boiling water. Jane started searching through cabinets trying to locate where the tea was kept. "I always forget where it's stashed."

Pulling out a box with a flourish, he frowned upon reading the label. "Hm, instant jello. Nope. Not what I was hoping to find." Tossing the container back Jane finally located the box of tea bags he had been looking for, taking one out and dropping it in his mug. He continued with his very particular tea ritual that he had, humming a song to himself while he worked, causing a miniscule distraction for Lisbon.

"Okay look Jane, the reason I'm here is because of what happened earlier today."

"Call me Patrick."

"What are you – what?"

"When we're at work we're Jane and Lisbon, when we're not at work it should be Patrick and Teresa," he explained, looking at her ever so thoughtfully with his head tilted to one side. As if it made all the sense in the world for them to be having a secret relationship.

"Whatever Patrick. I'm here because I'm sorry about the way things went down today. You were right about the fact that I should have fought harder for the case to remain ours. But there's nothing to be done about it now, it's out of our hands. You're going to have to accept that."

He looked at her over the rim of his cup, and took another sip before lowering it to the counter. "I know you care, but I don't think you quite understand how important the case is to me."

"You're wrong, on both counts. Obviously I understand how important the case means to you, I get it. But as it stands, we can only try and cooperate with whoever Minelli is going to hand the case over to. I can assure you that being irritable is not going to cut it."

"Fine, I understand. No more irritably from me, you got it. But what's the other thing you accuse me of being wrong about?"

"I don't just care Patrick. I thought you would know this by now. You mean – I think I – damnit. I love you. Okay? There I said it." She finally got over her fears and said the three words she had been afraid to say aloud, partially because she had an inkling that he wouldn't be able to say them back. Her feelings were out in the open now and he was either going to take them or leave them.

Jane closed the distance between them and enveloped her in his arms. "I know that, and you know I care so much you." Kissing the top of her head he added, "I truly am sorry for the way I was acting. I know it's not your fault the case got reassigned. If anything it's my fault. Everything is always my fault."

Jane loosened his hold on her as he looked off to one side, his eyes betraying the guilt he felt welling up inside him. She softly pulled him close again, raising one hand to his chin, forcing him to look at her. "It's never been always your fault. You may be a lot of things, but you know you're not to blame right?"

The double meaning in her words did not go unnoticed and he merely nodded his understanding, holding her against him. The timing was perfect, as was the mood, but he couldn't bring himself to say the 'three little words' that deep down he wished he could say; so Jane compromised and bought himself more time. "Why don't you stay the night? It's already getting late."

Lisbon took a step back to look at him, weighing the options before swiftly nodding in agreement. "Just to sleep right?"

"Yes, of course, just sleeping. Taking it slow, like we agreed."

* * *

Leaning forward to kiss her forehead gently, he moved as little as possible, trying not to disturb the woman from her much needed sleep. He would hate to see what a grumpy Lisbon would be like if woken from her slumber. Quietly slipping out from under the covers, Jane tucked her in, making sure she was still asleep before ducking out to the hallway. She looked so beautiful snuggled up in his bed, it was a sight he could get used to. Taking a few steps to get to the bathroom, he softly closed the door behind him.

"You can do this. Just say it." He whispered to his reflection staring back at him in the mirror. Quickly washing his face and running his wet fingers through his unruly blonde curls, Jane took one more look at himself, mentally preparing for what he was about to do.

The door to the bedroom creaked open slightly; Jane winced at the noise, hoping it wouldn't wake Lisbon. Carefully lifting the blanket, he crawled back into bed, resuming his place next to the warm body beside him.

"Where'd you sneak off to?" Lisbon muttered over her shoulder.

"Just the bathroom. And I thought I was being so quiet." Moving closer, Jane wrapped his arms around her, threading one hand underneath to place on her waist while the other came to rest atop of her hand. Both of them adjusted until they reached a comfortable position, with his chest against her back, and her head lightly resting in the crook of his neck, tangled together as one.

"Teresa?"

"Mhm?" Lisbon had intertwined her fingers in his, marveling at how they seemed to fit together so perfectly. No longer was the gold band marring his ring finger, although she could still notice a slight indentation from where it had sat for so long.

Taking his thumb, Jane began rubbing circles on the inside of her hand, still allowing the rest of their fingers to remain entwined. "You know that I – I care deeply, about you."

"If you say so."

"No, you need to know this. You're the most important person in my life right now."

"It's fine Patrick, really."

"Teresa, listen to me." She turned in his arms to face him, looking him straight in the eyes before he continued. "Those 'three little words' you want to hear from me. I need you to know that I want to say them to you just as much as you want to hear them. And I fully intend on getting there, I do. But I can't say them until I am one hundred percent sure I mean them. When I say them, I want it to be the absolute truth because it's only fair to you. Do you understand?"

His words left her speechless, and Lisbon was quite literally at a loss for words. Nodding slightly to show that she comprehended what he had said, she was still trying to process everything Jane just threw at her.

"I'm trying, I really am."

"I know Patrick, and just because you can't say it doesn't make me love you any less."

"Good. I'm happy to hear that, because the next thing I was going to ask is if you wanted to move in with me."

"What? How? You're renting the place."

"Hm, was renting the place. In two weeks time when the papers are all processed I will be the owner of this house."

"Patrick! Are you serious? How can you afford to keep this place and your other house?"

"Well, I put my Malibu house up for sale as soon as I decided I was going to move here permanently."

"And when did you decide this?"

"A month ago."

The silence that echoed through the room was so profound Jane swore he could hear her heart beating right through her chest.

"Hello? Teresa?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"Thinking about moving in?"

"No, well yes, but other things too. Like how you could decide to just pick up and sell the house that you've held onto for years." Lisbon glanced at him with uncertainty.

A soft sigh fell from Jane's lips as he shifted his position so that he was on top of her, but not completely so that he wouldn't crush her with his weight. Jane stared down into the face of the beautifully perplexed woman pinned beneath him while he spoke.

"Terese. I don't know how clearer I can say it. I'm moving forward with my life and with you in it, if you'll have me. You mean everything to me. You have for awhile now. You make all the simple things in my life that much better by just being in it and when you're around me. It just took me longer to realize it."

A moment passed between them while she looked up into the eyes of the man covering her body with his own. Lisbon raised her head slightly to press her lips against his, catching him off guard. He slid one hand between the nape of her neck and the small of her back, and tangled the other in her dark locks. Lifting her hands to place against his cheeks, she gently pulled him closer all the while allowing him to deepen their kiss, growing more and more infused with passion. His tongue moved alongside hers, pulling out to slide swiftly across her lips. She gently nibbled at his lower lip only to lock lips with his in a final gesture, before stopping completely to catch her breath.

After steadying his own breathing, Jane queried, "Now, how about that moving in part?"

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" Lisbon retorted back. Jane detected a hint of joy masked beneath her attempted tone of annoyance.

"I've been told."

"So much for 'taking it slow'," Lisbon mumbled, laying her head back down upon his chest, and listening to the racing beat of his heart, giving her confirmation that he was feeling the same things she was, even if he couldn't voice them aloud just yet.

* * *

**A/N – Yay, I finally wrote this chapter. Not saying it's any good. Personally I think it's crap because I can't write right now. But I need to start again somewhere right? Excuse some of the silliness, there are subtle little shout-outs in this chapter to other lovely writers here and forum buddies on Jello-Forever. Can you spot them?**

**Reviews are loved, even just to let me know that you think so far. **


	8. Bromance

**A/N – I'm still stuck on this story, so hence the lack of updates. This is more or less a filler chapter that I wrote up while **_**not**_** listening in my business law lecture. Thanks for all the reviews guys, I can't access them for some reason but I'll try to go back to reply to you all. Very much appreciated, since I have NO idea where this story is going now.**

**Disclaimer – If I owned it, I'd have done the end scene of 2x06 differently. Just saying. Plus, I'd definitely write more Cho & Jane scenes, they are fantastic.**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 7 – Bromance

"Boss sure looks happy today. What'd you do, spike her morning coffee?"

If Cho's comment unsettled Jane, it didn't show on the surface. He remained resting on the couch, eyes closed when he responded.

"Does she? I haven't noticed," Jane replied, a trace of a smile on his face.

"Yeah, right you haven't. Seriously, what'd you do? You guys were pretty much not speaking to each other yesterday."

"Nothing happened Cho. If something did, do you really think I'd tell you?"

"Yes."

Jane sat up abruptly, turning to face the serious agent in the still empty bullpen. Van Pelt and Rigsby had individually excused themselves, for whatever reason, and had not yet returned.

"Really? Why would I tell you about something of that nature?" A quizzical expression plastered on him.

"Because you know I have your back right? I'm your 'go-to' guy."

"Ah, that is true. You're my man Cho."

"Aw, how sweet. Hope I'm not interrupting something here guys." Lisbon stepped into the bullpen, stopping at the edge of Van Pelt's vacant desk.

"Nope, not at all boss," Cho said with a completely straight face. If it wasn't such a serious matter, Jane would have burst into laughter.

"Of course not, dear Lisbon."

Allowing a brief smile to cross her face at the sound of Jane calling her "dear", she immediately shot him a look that clearly told him to quit it.

"Right – where is Van Pelt? I need her to run something through the database."

"Oh, she stepped out for a minute. She'll be right back," Jane answered, almost a little too quickly.

"Okay, send her to my office when she returns."

"Will do boss," Cho added.

Jane waved at her as she turned to leave and a snarky comment escaped her before she could stop it.

"Thanks, I'll let you guys get back to your 'bromance'," a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and a smile playing at her lips. He watched her walk out and into her office, unable to tear his eyes from her retreating figure.

From behind his pile of paperwork, Cho's voice brought Jane to his senses.

"Yeah right, nothing happened."

* * *

**A/N – A second author's note, if you don't like these don't read. Those of you at the Jello Forum already know (since I posted it there a couple weeks ago), so sorry for the repetition, but I'm still so amazed that I FREAKING MET SIMON, TIM, & ROBIN! I visited the location they were filming at for 2x09 (which is now 2x08 and airing Nov. 19th for those who haven't noticed the schedule change).**

**Needless to say, I was starstruck and so thrilled that they agreed to pose for pictures with me. Seriously, they're as wonderful in person as they come across in interviews and what not. Tim was a good sport, Simon truly is just as good looking in person as he looks on TV, and Robin is solidly my favorite person/actress ever.**


End file.
